Rhododendron Ferrugineum L

Volume 18(1), 123- 130, 2014 JOURNAL of Horticulture, Forestry and Biotechnology www.journal-hfb.usab-tm.ro Rhododendron ferrugineum L. and Rhododendron myrtifolium Schott & Kotschy in habitats from Eastern Alps mountains and Carpathian Mountains Căprar M.1,2, Cantor Maria2*, Szatmari P.1, Sicora C.1 1)Biological Research Center, Botanical Garden ,,Vasile Fati” Jibou, Parcului Street,no.14,455200 Jibou, Romania; 2)University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Horticulture, Mănăștur Street, no 3-5,4000472 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; * Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] Abstract This paper presents results of research carried on two species Key words of Rhododendron in habitats from different regions of Central and Eastern Europe (Rhododendron ferrugineum and Rhododendron myrtifolium). It rhododendrons species, presents the ecological requirements of each habitat, their spread, main plant habitats, plant communities, association and floristic composition based on the dominance of probative Carpathian Mountains, Alps species. A correlation is made between habitats from different classifications, Mountains but with the same features, mentioning EUNIS codes, Emerald, Natura 2000, Palaearctic Habitats and the European forest types. This paper presents information on the spread of two types of habitats containing Rhododendronfrom Europe, the environmental conditions in which they live and the accompanying species involved, more or less, in the composition of habitats. It describes the types of vegetation in the Alps (Austria) and the Carpathian Mountains (Romania). Vegetation was observed following the research in the field. Knowledge of the habitats in which of Australia, with over 200 species only in the island of Rhododendron species live becomes an important New Guinea [2]. objective in order to protect these species that in most Rhododendron species vary in shape and European countries are rare or endangered. The height from miniature plants, repentis that forme pads rhododendron habitats host a series of species that are under the action of external factors, as far as 30 m trees rare and scientifically interesting, from witness of ice in mountain forests. Many species grow at high ages to survivors of Tertiary or unique endemic altitudes, over 900 m, some on rocks, some are species. Conservation of these habitats will help epiphytic on tree branches. They occupy a wide variety perpetuate the species and better understand the of ecosystems, tropical mountain forests and alpine functioning of ecosystems. meadows at 4000 m altitude [19]. The genus Rhododendron L. (in ancient Greek Flowers may be solitary or in up to 24 - "rhodon" the rose, and "dendron" meaning tree) [11] racemes, the species has a wide range of colors, maybe belongs to the family Ericaceae, a highly complex one of the richest in the plant world, some parts of the genre, totaling over 1000 species worldwide. flower can be poisonous. Flowering period can begin According to Heywood there are around 700 species in early spring in different species until late summer, only in the region covering China, Tibet, Nepal, Assam some even in fall, and the tropical ones throughout the (Northeast India) and Myanmar [12]. Woody species, year. The fruit is usually a woody capsule, rarely soft, some of which are evergreen, others deciduous, meet with many seeds, sometimes wearing wings and along the entire northern hemisphere. Most are found appendages to facilitate air transport [16]. All species in temperate and cold regions with a high concentration of Rhododendron form mycorrhizae with various of species in western China, the Himalayas and species of fungi in a wide variety of habitats [21]. northeastern Myanmar (Burma) [16]. Due to The Ericaceae family has been divided into unfavorable conditions some of them have adapted by several subfamilies, Rhododendron genus entering losing leaves in winter most frequent seem in North Rhodoreae tribe from Ericoideae subfamily, the America, China, Japan and Europe. Tropical subfamily which includes the Ericagenus, rhododendrons, generically called "Vireya" [16], grow Bruckenthalia and Calluna, grown under similar at high altitudes in Southeast Asia (Indochina), up to conditions. The genus has been subdivided into several the south in Indonesia, Philippines and northern parts subgenera where azaleas, formerly classified separately in Azaleagenus, are now also classified in the 123 Rhododendron genus, but with a clear status, the 5 are found in the Apuan Alps in Italy (Tuscany), which anthers from the flower making them easily is considered a relic of the cold climate [3]. distinguishable from true rhododendrons [29]. New genetic studies have shown that Ledum 2. Rhododendron myrtifolium Schott & Kotschy species, until recently treated separately, must be placed in the Rhododendron genus, thereby a new Small shrub (10-50 cm), that subsection was added. Because most names from hascrenate,obtuse, evergreen leaves, with pink flowers Ledum species have been used in other species of the and pubescent pedicels, toxic, grows especially on Rhododendron genus, new names were given, for shady slopes and rockery [20, 5]. A Carpatho-Balkan example the species Ledum palustre became species, oligotrophic, mesophilic, moderate to strong Rhododendron tomentosum and Ledum decumbens acidophile, calcifuge [17, 18]. became Rhododendron subarcticum wich most often is It is widespread in the Carpathian Mountains treated as a subspecies of Ledum palustre. Instead (Eastern and Southern Carpathians - Romania, western Ledum groenlandicum kept the name Rhododendron Ukraine, but missing from the Carpathians in groenlandicum[10,14]. Slovakia), in the Balkan Mountains and Rila (Bulgaria) and in northern Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania 1. Rhododendron ferrugineum L. [20, 5, 13, 27]. The species is protected in Ukraine (where populations are declining), Bulgaria and Romania [4, 18]. Rhododendron ferrugineum is a small shrub (30-120 cm, maximum 1.8 m) evergreen with dark green elliptical leaves, densely covered underneath Material and Methods with reddish-brown (rust) scales, hence the scientific name. The flowers are deep pink to purple [16, 1]. The The methods used in the study of plant leaves are toxic, after consumption can cause damage communities from mountain areas are based on to the digestive, circulatory, nervous and respiratory observation, description, collecting material for genetic system [29]. and structural laboratory tests. Analysis of floristic A Southern European species, widespread in composition and the phytocoenosis structure was made the high mountain (subalpine) zone of the Alps through field and laboratory activities. In order to (Southern Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, determine the species, the following papers were used: Switzerland, southeastern France, northern Italy, north- Flora Europaea, vol. I – IV (1964 – 1980), Flora western Slovenia), Pyrenees (southern France, northern Alpina – Aeschimann 2004, Flora ilustrata a Romaniei Spain, Andorra), Jura Mountains (eastern France, – Ciocarlan, 2009. Research methods were based on north-western Switzerland and west Germany), criteria developed by Braun – Blanquetusing the Northern Apennines (central Italy) and the Dinaric surveys conducted in the summer months in both the Mountains (Slovenia, northern Croatia, Serbia, Alps and the Carpathians (Fig.1, 2). Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania) [1, 26]. It was introduced in the Czech Bohemian Massif [28]. It is Rhododendrons habitats researched in this paper protected in Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia [28]. Habitat description was made for each species of It forms large thickets in mountainous upper Rhododendron depending on the geographic area it floors, in open places, steep slopes or rare forest [20]. occupies. Habitats addressed in the paper are filled Cold climate element, refugee in the upper with official denomination of the habitats found under floors of the mountains, rarely may occur under 1600 different names but with the same species and m. One such place is the resort Schrottkogel, southwest ecological requirements, from many scientific studies of Klagenfurt in Carinthia (Austria), at just 700 m published over the years, greatly helping identification altitude, it is considered a glacial relict [8]. Also it was and correlation between them. The paper also presents observed that it can survive in the Sphagnum bogsin phytocenologic surveys on plants identified in each the southern Alps, Tyrol region, Italy [9] or in the habitat. Julian Alps in Slovenia together with Pinus mugo[15]. In the northern Apennines Mountains of Italy, Results and Discussions Rhododendron ferrugineum populations are considered relics. Rhododendron ferrugineum is found only on a Alpine and subalpine scrubland with Rhododendron few massive such as Cima Belfiore (1810 m), Mount ferrugineum Prado (2053 m), Mount Libro Aperto (1937 m), where these populations grow on the northern slopes between Biotope: Rhododendron ferrugineum form large under 1750-1937 m altitude. The conservation of these wood in rocky and grassy places, especially in the sub- populations is due to heavy rainfall and acid soil [7]. alpine level of the Alps, along with other short or tall Other small populations of Rhododendron ferrugineum evergreen, alpine bushes such as Pinus mugo, resistant to severe frost, between 1600-2500 m altitudes. The 124 main spread is influenced by soil specifics, so it will be found only on acid soils with siliceous

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